A Wonder Woman game is currently in the works at Monolith Productions, the studio behind Middle-earth: Shadows of Mordor and Middle-earth: Shadow of War.
Slated to be an action-adventure game with open-world elements, the Wonder Woman game will have you step into the shiny boots of beloved DC hero Wonder Woman as she fights against the forces of evil. While we don't know much about the game as of yet, there are a few details we can piece together from the preview trailer as well as Monolith Productions' history.
For instance, Monolith has a great track record when it comes to adapting beloved settings. The Middle-earth series was full of action-packed setpieces and captivating cuts that really did justice to J.R.R. Tolkien's timeless The Lord of the Rings universe. While they didn't distinguish themselves quite enough to earn a place on our lists of the best single-player games and the best story games, both titles are still well worth playing if you're a fan of fantasy action. Middle-earth also introduced the 'Nemesis System', which will be returning in the Wonder Woman game. This feature creates a unique web of relationships and qualities which makes the game's bosses more dynamic and feel like they're part of a fleshed-out organization. Since DC is renowned for its memorable villains, it looks like Monolith could get a lot out of this mechanic if the studio plays its cards right. Read on to find out more.
Wonder Woman game: cut to the chase
- What is it? An open-world Wonder Woman game
- When does it come out? TBC
- What can I play it on? TBC
- Who is making it? Monolith Productions
Wonder Woman gameplay
We don't have a lot of information on Wonder Woman's game mechanics right now. We know it'll use the 'Nemesis System', previously seen in Middle-earth: Shadow of Mordor and Shadow of War.
The system created a procedurally generated hierarchy across enemy orcs, giving them more personality than your standard grunts. Considering we don't know who Diana will be facing, it's yet unknown how the system will be implemented.
Unfortunately, the teaser trailer was purely cinematic and offered no real hints, beyond telling us that Diana's returning home to face a new threat.
All we otherwise have is this official statement from David Hewitt, vice president and studio head at Monolith, who told us:
"The stories our players share inspire us every day, and we are honored to take players on a unique personal journey, driven by the values embodied in Wonder Woman. The Nemesis System raised the bar for player-driven storytelling and we’re excited to push the open-world genre forward, combining cutting-edge action with inventive narratives to create a Wonder Woman game everyone will want to play."
Wonder Woman trailer
The Wonder Woman announcement teaser trailer doesn't give much away, but it does give us a close-up look at the hero herself, complete with her iconic Lasso of Truth. There may not be much to go on, but we're suitably impressed with Monolith Production's take on Diana Prince when it comes to visual design.
Besides the teaser, we are yet to see any other previews. In the meantime, we advise keeping an eye on Warner Bros. Games' official YouTube channel for new announcements down the line.
Wonder Woman news
Leaked concept art surfaces on job page
As reported by our pals over at GamesRadar, Wonder Woman concept art has leaked online, showing character models for three characters in the upcoming superhero game. A developer at Monolith Productions was spotted with a piece of Wonder Woman concept art as their LinkedIn header image. It has since been removed.
Procedural storytelling
The upcoming Wonder Woman game will apparently have procedural storytelling. This was revealed in a Tweet from the game’s narrative director Tony Elias, who said that development studio Monolith was looking for a senior game writer to work on the Wonder Woman game.
Game writers! Monolith is looking for a Senior Game Writer to help us build our Wonder Woman game. Apart from creating characters and writing tons of excellent dialogue, you will learn more about procedural storytelling than you thought possible. https://t.co/nFrHDL73lTJune 8, 2022
Wonder Woman: what we want to see
A familiar lineup of enemies to fight
We currently don't know who Diana's main adversaries with be in the Wonder Woman game, but it's almost certain that we'll see some familiar faces from the DC universe. We're hoping that Ares is the primary villain in Monolith's title, with the likes of Cheetah, Giganta, Circe, and Doctor Psycho making appearances in some form - perhaps sitting just below Ares in the Nemesis System ranks.
What's more likely (and makes more sense) is that Wonder Woman will take on Villainy Incorporated. The Nemesis System would do a great job at capturing the dynamic of an evil organization, complete with its own rank structures and internal politics.
An invisible jet
Sure, it's cheesy, but we would love to see Monolith (somehow) make Wonder Woman's invisible jet cool. Wonder Woman 1984 did - kind of - but it would be great to see the developer integrate the jet into gameplay in a way that doesn't feel shoehorned.
Combat that feels good
One thing we've learned from recent superhero games is that how a hero feels to play is a make-or-break factor. We're hoping that Wonder Woman feels as strong as she is meant to be, with powerful melee attacks and - of course - the ability to Lasso of Truth our enemies.
Utilizing the power of the PS5 and Xbox Series X
Going off our last point, we would love to see Monolith adding haptic feedback and adaptive controller support to the Wonder Woman game, so we can really feel the tension in the lasso or the feel of kicking Cheetah in the face (hopefully). We're also expecting (more than hoping) that Wonder Woman will have minimal loading screens despite being an open-world title.
It could be a long old wait for Wonder Woman. In the meantime, be sure to check out our picks for the best Superhero games you can play as well as our lineup of the best fighting games.
